Nasdaq Corporate Solutions, which has been rethinking its offering for IROs since the acquisition of Thomson Reuters’ IR business two and a half years ago, has launched a new investor relations platform called IR Insight.
The new product aims to be a one-stop shop for IR professionals with a mixture of information, analytics and workflow tools.
Ed Ditmire, Nasdaq’s own IRO, is already using the new platform on his daily train commute. ‘From my iPad, I log on to the dashboard where information is presented to me on different cards,’ he says. A portion of the screen displays news articles, research reports or estimate changes for all companies of interest – including an IRO’s own firm – with summaries for quick updates.
The information made available includes buying and selling activity and top targeting priorities. It also makes suggestions for outreach including ‘the contact person at that fund, his or her background, why he or she is relevant and his/her contact details,’ Ditmire adds.
IROs are able to log on through their desktop or mobile device, and can integrate the tool’s content with Microsoft Excel or Outlook. The tool isn’t referential-based, but rather pushes relevant information to the user and makes it possible to send messages to colleagues and the buy-side through the platform, notes Brian Reynolds, vice president and head of desktop solutions.
The platform can also help IROs brief executives for investor or analyst contact. The software brings up information about any sell-side analyst, for example, including ‘every question he or she has asked every company on every conference call,’ Ditmire says. That information, as well as research reports, can then be shared by email with senior management or the board.
The product is offered with several levels of access at different prices; other services offered by Nasdaq, such as the advanced targeting analytics, can be added to the platform.
